


In the Beginning

by regault



Series: Gateway [1]
Category: Digimon Adventure
Genre: Gen, Mutation, future crossover, genfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-08
Updated: 2014-04-16
Packaged: 2018-01-15 00:24:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1284331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/regault/pseuds/regault
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Since the death of BelialVamdemon, Hikari begins going through changes. Hearing people's thoughts, going to places that don't exist. She fears she is going crazy, but after some research, Taichi has a theory on what she's becoming.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. 1

The dome under the water was speaking to her. She could hear the terror in their minds as she pressed her hands against it.

Who was she. The girl outside the dome. Their fear and confusion was wild in her head, while the water pressure was unbearable against her struggling body. All she wanted was to go inside the dome, to breathe their air, to walk amongst the Beings inside.

Her lungs burned, her eyes wanted to open. Where the hell was she now, why had she come. Hikari sat bolt upright, a choked cry leaving her as she coughed out the salt water from her lungs. Her eyes burned and her joints ached, and she shook from the cold that chilled her to the bone.

“Hikari?” Tailmon was quick to react from her small shared bed with Agumon on the floor. She moved quickly and near silently to her partner, placing her paws on either side of Hikari’s face.

“You’re soaked through…” Hikari and Tailmon’s eyes met, as Taichi stirred in the bed above.

“Hikari?” he slid down the rungs on the ladder, the deep concern for his baby sister seen even through the darkness.   He crawled into bed next to her, wrapping his arms around her, trying to warm her.

“It happened again, Taichi,” she whispered. He shuddered, and pulled her closer to him, breathing in the smell of her salty hair. “I went to… another place. This one was underwater. I couldn’t breathe.”

  Taichi shook his head, trying to calm himself as much as Hikari. “No, sweetheart, no,” he whispered. “I keep telling you. These are just bad dreams. You aren’t going anywhere.” 

_That smell though, it’s unexplainable._

“Because it really happened, I’m telling you,” Hikari sobbed.

Tailmon came to her, curling up in her lap, exchanging a concerned look with Taichi. By this time Agumon had stirred, and had joined the group curled up on the bed. Taichi ran a hand over his bumpy, scaly head, and the monster leaned into it.

“Run a bath,” he said to him. “I’ll go check and make sure Mom and Dad are still sleeping. Tailmon?”

“I’ll get her cleaned up,” nodded Tailmon. “Come on Hikari, lets get you to the bathroom. I’ll help you out.”

Once in the warm water, Hikari leaned back against the tub, steadying herself. Tailmon sat next to her on the edge, watching her intently.

“You believe me, don’t you?” Hikari whispered to her partner, running her fingers though the cat’s fur. “You have to believe me.”

  Tailmon twitched her tail as Hikari’s hand drifted lower to it's base. The monster leaned against Hikari, rubbing her head against the young girl’s face to calm her while she chose her words carefully.

“You’ve always been… different. You've been doing this for years with no explanation behind it. Then there’s the… you know…” She drifted off, and two shared a look. Through the last through years, the mild readings Hikari had been able to preform were gaining power. The headaches were bad, but now she was seeing things that weren't exactly there, as far as Tailmon could tell. Hikari stared at her hands, which had been pruned since she had woken up.

“What’s happening to me,” she whispered. “What is going on.”


	2. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taichi discusses Hikari's problem with Yamato and Koushiro, while Miyako needs a break studying for upcoming entrance exams.

“So this dream,” Koushiro said leaning back in his seat. “She’s sure she’s leaving her bed. And none of you have ever seen it happen.”

Taichi was looking out the window as pedestrians walked past. He took a sip of his tea, brain reprocessing the night before. “There was such fear in her,” he muttered, shaking his head. “I just don’t know what to make of it.”

He paused, thinking to himself. Surely, if it were true, at the very least, Tailmon would have noticed her leaving. He shook his head again. “She’s absolutely positive.”

Yamato cleared his throat, and leaned forward, to make sure that others around them couldn’t hear.

“The way I see it then,” he whispered, his steady voice low, “is you have two options. Either she’s going completely mental, or else, she really is leaving. Remember, two years ago? The Dark Ocean? That wasn’t her imagination, now was it? And what about when she was younger. She could see parts of the Digital World when none of us could. And then there was the time she was possessed by that spirit…”

The three boys sat in silence, as Taichi played with his food. That was true. After a couple years, Hikari had, for the most part, learned to control whatever her strange… gift was. But maybe Yamato was right. Maybe it was that, and she was losing control of whatever it was.

“What is she, then,” he said slowly. “She needs help with whatever she is, or is becoming, and I don’t think we can save her on our own.”

 

-

 

Hikari drifted in and out of whatever spat Takeru and Daisuke were having today, her head low as she pushed some rice around with her fork. She tried to concentrate on their voices, but they were being drowned out by the other things.

Tanaka across the cafeteria was worried. She could hear him in her head, muttering about advance chem calculations, stressing over his entrance exams for the private high school that he was trying to enter. 

She reached up to knead the bridge of her nose, as Tanaka’s thoughts were drowned by Miyako dropping her box down onto the table, with an over dramatic sigh as she sat, leaning her chin onto the table and pushing her lunch towards the two boys.

“You eat it, too tired,” she muttered, eyes heavy. “These study sessions are going to be the death of me. Poromon keeps complaining that I’m keeping him up all night, which is just…” she rolled her head to the side, closing her eyes.

Hikari could taste Mikayo’s stress on the edges of her brain, trying to shut it out. Her words and thoughts were running together, muddled in what she was really hearing and what wasn’t her business. Takeru watched her, and took her hand in his, rubbing his thumb along her hand. Hikari met his gaze and gave him a smile, squeezing back. As long as she acted completely normal, everything would be fine and stay the way it was. 

“Hikari,” Daisuke perked up at her smile. “Hikari, would you like to get crepes with me after class?” The girl had been so shut off lately, that the slightest sign of her coming back to life had him in happy shambles.

She cocked her head to the side, contemplating the answer. Yes, she would love to go out, be outdoors, but the downside was having too many people nearby, which could lead to reading everyone on the street. She didn’t know if she could handle that many at one time.

Miyako lifted her head, and gave a small grin.

“I love this idea,” she said. “I need a break, even if it’s for a small time. I’ll call Iori and Ken, have them meet us.”

She pulled out her cellphone, as though that was some kind of finality on the matter, and began texting. Daisuke seemed put off by the fact that Miyako had invited herself and the others, but Hikari was glad. As much as she loved Daisuke, she couldn’t the way that he did. It was too hard at this point to let him down gently. At least the others had been nice enough to stand in for her, understanding her dilemma. He would lose interest eventually, she'd be willing to wait it out.

She slowly nodded her agreement. Daisuke broke into a large grin again.

She pushed the uneasy feeling out of her stomach.

What could go wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hokay. I'm slowly picking away at this. Please forgive for the slow pace, this is just the start. It's going to lead into something bigger.
> 
> Thanks so much for reading guys!  
> -Regault


	3. 3

They huddled around the computer, heads together, as Tentomon and Gabumon tried to push themselves in to see what the three boys were working on. Koushiro scrolled fast past pages, speed reading as certain words popped out at him.

_Genetic Mutation._

_Seeds._

_Super-Humans._

_Witches._

Taichi and Yamato were at the desk top, reading the unexplained phenomenon surrounding Witch populations around the world.

An entire city in the middle east driven into the ground. Unexplained rolling blackouts on the west coast of Canada. A small town in the southern United States currently surrounded by a dome of energy, people unable to leave or enter.

“Why isn’t this bigger news?” Yamato asked, concern in his voice. “There should be more warning out there. These things are coming into our world, and have the ability to fuck with whatever they want.”

Taichi glared, and knotted his hand in Yamato’s golden hair, pulling his ear right close to his mouth.

“What did you call her?” he hissed as Yamato yelped. “My sister is not a thing. She’s a human being.”

He released Yamato’s hair, who pulled away, rubbing his scalp.

“Of course man, I’m sorry,” he muttered. “I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just a scary thing to think about, all these people out there who can do so much damage to our World.”

Koushiro tilted his head, turning slowly towards the other two boys, eyes running quickly over Gabumon and Tentomon. The silence was broken by Mrs Yagami bustling through the kitchen, tinkling away with dinner while chatting amicably with Agumon.

“You could say they same thing about the Digimon though,” he said quietly, as though they weren't in the room with the three boys. The two Monsters looked distraught at the thought. “Just as dangerous, just as destructive. They aren’t though,” he added quickly, at Taichi’s dark look. “It all depends on the Being, doesn’t it, but I mean, mistakes happen all the time.”

The silence was deafening to Taichi’s ears. He fidgeted, pulling on the edge of his dress-shirt, letting this all run through his head.

“We have to tell your parents and Tailmon, Taichi,” Kourshiro lowered his voice even further. “They’ll keep her safe.”

He swallowed. It was true. He didn’t want to think about it, but it was true. Even if she wasn’t dangerous, she needed protecting. It was something he had wanted but had been put off since this had all started up again a week ago.

 He swallowed while, and stood. 

 “Why couldn’t we all just be a bunch of normal fucking kids.”

  

-

 

Hikari and Miyako walked down the road, arm in arm, Poromon happily riding along on Miyako’s head. Tailmon lead the way in front of the girls, tail wagging with every step she took, on guard as if she were ready for an attack.

“I don’t see why it’s so important for you to go to Silvermount,” Hikari said. “Whats wrong with the middle school that Taichi and the others go to? Its perfectly fine, doesn't even have the entrance exams. And you wouldn't have to leave us.”

Miyako sighed, shaking her head. “I know it’s a fine school. And I’d love to be with all of the group there, but…” she shook her head again, pulling her arms out of Hikari’s and taking Poromon off her head.

He cooed as she rubbed her face up against his warm body. 

“Silvermount's the best, y’know. The greatest minds in the business world teach there. And all I want is to be successful, to learn all that I can. And move on and start my own company,” Hikari took a deep breath. Miyako looked her in the eyes, and Hikari could taste the fierce passion on the edge of her brain. “Its a pipe dream, I know, but hey. If the last two years have taught me anything, it's that chasing what you want is really worth it in the long run.”

She smiled and winked at Hikari, who leaned into her friend, enjoying the warmth of her mind, using it to drown out the others that were following them on the street.

“You’re talented enough to run a company. Passionate, wise. And we know that this is what you really want. It’s just… we’d miss you, having you around everyday,” Hikari stopped to bend over and pick up Tailmon. 

The two girls walked in silence, their partners in their arms. The quieted conversation made the warmer, comforting thoughts of Miyako die off, and the whispers welled up around her, inside her head, making her feel like she she was drowning.

She stopped, and looked across the street. Miyako noticed her friend, and turned, squinting at the empty road, looking to see what had made Hikari’s eyes as wide as saucers.

“Hikari?” Tailmon whispered, wiggling in her partner’s arms, trying to get free. 

Hikari’s lips twisted into a grimace, her breath speeding up, taking two steps back, hissing under her breath. The Being that she was looking at, the one the others clearly couldn’t see, was hulking, oversized limbs dragging against the floor, saliva dripping from it’s oversized mouth, sniffing the air as it lurched towards her.

She shut her eyes, holding her breath, hearing it’s thoughts racing as it came towards her.

And suddenly, she was back, back on the sidewalk, where there was no monster, where her friends were calling her name, Miyako’s hand on her shoulder, shaking her hard.

She turned to look at her friend, eyes blown wide, holding Tailmon so fiercely, the monster feared she was endangered of being crushed.

“Help me,” she hissed under her breath, before her knees gave out, her world going black.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've got the fourth chapter queued up for next week's editing, and the end is almost in sight.  
> Also I'd love love feedback, so if anyone has any crit, that would be lovely. 
> 
> Thanks so much for reading guys <3  
> -regault


	4. 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I changed my mind, here's the chapter early, hah.

The steady beep of the heart monitor is what she heard first. Her eyes fluttered and breath changed, and the buzz around her stilled, changing. Taking a few bleary blinks, her eyes focused ahead of her, and she sat up, moaning as her muscles popped from lack of use.

Yuuko started, moving to place her hand on Hikari’s forehead.

“We were so worried, sweetheart,” she breathed in her daughter’s smell, kissing her cheek.

She looked into her mother’s eyes, the whispering in her head telling her that she _knew,_ she knew the little things that Taichi had promised to keep a secret. The panic rose in her throat, choking her.

“Mom, I’m so sorry,” she said, tears rising. “I’m trying to make it stop, okay? I’ll try to get better.”

Yuuko shushed her, eyes sad, staying calm. “I know sweetheart,” she whispered. “I know you can’t help it. And Dad, and Taichi. Don’t be mad at him,” she added in, noticing Hikari’s flinch at her brother’s name. “He was right in telling us.”

Hikari let out the breath she was holding, eyes wide. She sat quietly, listening to the whispers, a dull pounding in her the base of her skull. Her eyes wandered around the room, with the balloons and cards and a vase with lilies in them.

“How long was I asleep for?” Hikari asked, not sure if she wanted an answer.

“Two days,” Yuuko said softly. She followed Hikari’s eyes over to the gifts. “Your friends brought you those. They came by yesterday with the flowers after class. They're just as worried as we are.”

“I’ll to get the doctor,” she stood, continuing in her soft voice, as though talking to a scared animal, irritating Hikari somewhat. “We’ll get you home, keep you safe. Get you better.”

 

-

 

Maybe it had been a couple days, maybe a couple weeks, everything had blended together. It was an awful time, being stuck inside the house all day with Yuuko and Tailmon fretting over her.

Maybe she would be better off in the hospital. At least they’d let her go outside.

The dull throbbing in the back of her head hadn’t ended, the whispering from other’s thoughts wasn’t letting up. Her biggest fear was sleeping, afraid whatever it was that lurked in her mind that made her feel others would bring her to them again. She would lie away at night, holding Tailmon’s soft body to her own, listening to her parents and Taichi dream.

It was Monday. The newscaster was droning on about how a wildfire had spread through the southern United States after a town’s gasline had exploded, as Yuuko bustled around the kitchen, pulling out a cake from the oven.

Hikari wasn’t looking forward to what was coming. After she had been checked out of the hospital, the family sat down to discuss her _problem_. She tried to tell them she could control herself, but Taichi, eyes lowered, had told them all about the incident in bed a couple weeks before, and how he had looked with Yamato and Koushiro for explanations. Her parents told her about their research, and how there was a school for people like her to learn.

In America.

Hikari wasn’t too sure on how she felt on that point. The school itself seemed like an interesting idea, teaching those to use their powers in a way to not hurt themselves, but leaving her friends and family behind was something that terrified her.

The sharp rap at the door stirred her from her thoughts, and she stood, dragging herself to the apartment door. After a moment of contemplation, she opened it, face to face with a beautiful slim redhead, and an older man in a wheel chair.  The girl smiled at her, and held her hand out to Hikari, while resting the other comfortably on the man’s chair.

“You must be Hikari,” her voice was smooth, comforting. “I’m Jean, and this is Professor Xavier. We’re here to help you.”

 

-

 

“We don’t want to force you into coming with us, of course,” the Professor stated while stirring his tea. “That’s not our intention. Our school just offers a safer environment for you to grow and hone your mutation. Your parents,” he nodded at Yuuko, “contacted us because they want to help you.”

Hikari fidgeted as she scraped her fork along her cake, chewing on her bottom lip. Yuuko noticed her anxiety, and placed her own hand on her daughter’s in reassurance.

“I know,” she said, not looking up. “I know it’s for the best. It’s just… my family is here. My friends are here.”  
  
Yuuko stifled a small smile, and rested her cheek on Hikari’s head, pulling her closer.  
  
“If you don’t like it, we promise you can come home,” Yuuko said simply. “We just really feel like you should give it a chance.”

Hikari looked into her mother’s eyes, and then over to the Professor and Jean.  
  
“What about school. Real school. And Tailmon,” she added in. “I don’t want to have to leave her here, or have her go back to her own world.”

The Professor smiled at her, and Jean nodded knowingly.

“There is a good school in the area that students attend,” Jean answered. “It has a strong academic field, advanced classes for those who qualify, great sports teams and athletic facilities.”  
  
“We try to encourage all students to attend school,” the Professor nodded. “It helps with assimilation, with blending, making people understand that we _do_ belong. Anything to normalize what we are is encouraged.

“As for your …friend,” his eyes drifted to the door of her and Taichi’s shared bedroom, where she knew the cat had her ear pressed against the door. “If you do require her to come with you, she may come. The Institute will always find space for those who need it.”

Hikari looked at the kind faces of the two older Mutants, knots tied in her stomach, torn between knowing she needed their help, her family wanting her to go with them, and wanting to stay where she knew. 

“I guess… I’ll come back with you,” she said cautiously, taking a sip of her tea. “If that’s what my family thinks is best.”

Her mother's relief washed over her mind, as Jean beamed at her. She was just going to have to think of it as a new adventure.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Home stretch!
> 
> Once again, thanks for reading guys!  
> \- Regault


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, sorry guys! Work's been pretty hectic as of late.  
> Here's the last chapter~ 
> 
> Thanks for baring with me.

The party was winding down. Taichi’s head dipped onto her lap, as Yamato strummed a couple chords on his guitar absently. Tailmon rested against her body, blue eyes looking at her with pride, while she leaned against Takeru, who hummed along to Yamato’s nothing-tune.

There was a pile of gifts from the others left behind. Photos from Sora and Daisuke of the group over the course of the last five years. A long letter from Miyako, ending with _and you told me I wasn’t allowed to leave,_ which Hikari would have taken personally if it hadn’t been from her, or signed covered in kiss marks. A computer and webcam from her parents and Taichi, still packed in their boxes so it’d be easier to load them in the morning. 

The whole thing was a last minute affair for that night, just for them all to say good-bye to her and Tailmon. Even Jyou had made it out, and held her in his arms briefly, telling her she was going to be okay.

Hearing him, of all people, sound completely calm about the situation made Hikari much less nervous.

Takeru wrapped his arm around her, breathing in the smell of her hair, and Hikari let her mind expand outwards, hearing the thoughts of love that came from her friends that were remaining behind. 

“Want to go outside for a moment?” Takeru whispered in her ear, running his cheek on her head.

Hikari nodded, shifting her weight, moving her brother’s head as smoothly as possible so not to disturb his sleep. Yamato looked up, catching his brother’s eye.

“Just getting some air,” he said simply, as the two moved towards the balcony.

The cool October air nipped at their feet, neither had bothered to grab their shoes. Hikari wiggled her toes a little as she looked at Takeru expectantly. 

He smiled softly at her as he dug through his pocket.

“I got you something,” he explained. “I was going to wait to give it to you, but with you leaving and all…” He pulled out a small, velveteen box, and held it out to her.

Her hands shook as she opened the small box. It was a thin bracelet, a silver tag hanging off it, with her name carved into it. She looked into his eyes, feeling the anxiety come off him in a wave.

“Its an ID bracelet,” he muttered, looking away at his socks. “It’s stupid, but y’know… I just wanted to get you something so I could tell you before you leave…”

Hikari smiled at him encouragingly, reaching out and took his hand.

“I like you, okay,” he blurted out, looking back at her. “And I know it’s silly, you’re leaving,  it’s just… y’know… I thought I should tell you.”

He trailed off, taking a deep breath. Hikari moved to push his bangs off his face, leaning forward. Takeru moistened his lips, tilting his head forward, bringing his lips to hers softly.

He pulled away from her, looking at her questioningly. Hikari brushed her lips against his cheek, trailing her hand down his shoulder, his arm, to his hand, where she intwined her fingers in his. She met his eyes, and gave him another small smile.

“I really like you too,” she said. “Really. And if things were different, I’d like to think we’d have a shot. But we can’t. Not now.”

“I know,” he said sadly, leaning so his chin rested on her head, pulling her into his body. She felt safe and warm in his arms. “I just thought I should tell you. Before you leave.”

She nodded into his chest as he held her. She took a deep breath and looked out over the city.

Everything was changing, and she wasn’t sure if she was ready for it.

 

-

 

The morning came.

Taichi and Susumu helped her pack the last of her belongings, sliding boxes into the small hatchback. Hikari had packed her friends’ gifts with the utmost care, making sure they were tucked away in her backpack.

It was a crammed fit in the car, with the four of them, and the two Monsters sitting on both hers and Taichi’s laps, but the family fit without complaint. The sun was beginning to peak over the horizon, clouds swirling pink and gold in the early light.

It was quiet, save for Yuuko’s occasional sniffing from holding back tears. She wanted to tell them to all cheer up, their worry and sadness for her was digging into her skull again and making her feel even worse about the whole situation.

They pulled into the hanger that the Professor had told them to meet him at, and Hikari felt Taichi grab at her hand. She looked over at her older brother, and squeezed, relief flooding her as he squeezed back.

“It’s only temporary,” Susumu said for what felt like the hundredth time that morning. “Until you can control it. And then you can come home. It’s going to be okay.”

Hikari buried her face in Tailmon’s fur as her parents got out of the car.

“There’s still time you know,” Tailmon whispered to her. “You can change your mind, no one’s going to be mad.”

Taichi rubbed her arm. “She’s right kiddo. You change your mind, and we can go home, and we can all go back to normal. No one will hold it against you.”

Hikari pulled Tailmon into her, absorbing her warmth, the feeling of her love beating against her skull. 

“Or,” Taichi added in. “You go. Just for a week or two. Just like summer camp.”

“Last time you went to summer camp you got pulled into our dimension,” Agumon chimed in. The two teenagers laughed. Hikari looked her brother in the eye as he took her hand in his.

“The point _being_ , Agumon,” he quipped to his partner, “Hikari, you hate it, you can come home. Life goes on. We love you no matter what.”

She gave him one of her small smiles, reaching for her door handle.

“I can deal with two wars, I can deal with being some kind of freak of nature, can’t I?”

They got out of the car, her parents watching Jean move her boxes and suitcase onto the black jet with just a wave of her hand. The Professor smiled at her, holding his hand out to her flattley as an invetation.

“Whenever you’re ready, we'll get cleared for take off.”

Tailmon glanced up at Hikari, look of reverence in her eyes.

“If you’re sure,” she said, “I’m sure. I’ll follow you to the edge of the universe and back, if you need me.”

She stroked Tailmon’s head, feeling the comfort from her. “Thank you my friend. As long as I have you, I know I’ll be safe.”

Her family stood around her as she looked up at the jet. Her parents and brother held her, their brains whispering into hers, of all the fears they had of sending her away, their love, their comfort running through her mind.

“I love you all,” she whispered, kissing her mother and father’s cheeks, reaching and grasping Taichi’s hand, giving his knuckles a quick kiss, before giving Agumon a quick stroke along his boney skull.

Jean and the Professor looked down at her from the jet’s hatch, their warm gazes meeting hers.

Hikari turned from her family, murmurs of “I’ll make sure to email you,” on their lips. Silver ID bracelet glinting in the light, she began to walk up the ramp to the jet.

 

It was time to move on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've started on the next part, hopefully I'll get it up by the end of the month. Real life is going to busy until July, so I'll try to keep this going when I have the time~


End file.
